The Normals | ✓

T H I R T Y - S I X

By the time we’ve cleared up and everything is back the way we found it -- minus the pair of bloodstained gloves in the trash, which we throw a couple of papers on top of to hide -- it’s been a couple of hours. From our place high up in the pentagon room, we get a large view of the field, and the glow of the moon behind the Barrier and whatever’s beyond it. We probably only have a few hours left to think of something before the Masks wake up. Bear says he was waiting for the right time to set his plan into motion, but, as I tell him, there is never a right time. You just have to jump right in and hope for the best.

The three of us -- me, Bear and Arden -- head to Bear’s room. He explains parts of his plan as we go, being careful to avoid halls probably populated with Masks. It’s hard for him to explain it fully to us, but I try to listen as best as I can. Arden seems to understand it better than I do, and adds his own ideas as we go along. By the time we’ve reached the room and Bear lets us in, I have a rough outline of the plan, with modifications from Arden.

Bear leaves us in the room for a minute, telling us he’ll be right back, so I sit down at his desk and wait. Arden looks around the room, occasionally picking up things. “This is all you guys have?” he asks. “Everything in this room?”

I nod. “It seemed like just enough until I saw all the world has to offer.”

“Is there a way to un-wipe my memories?” he asks, sounding bitter. “I want to remember my family.”

“I don’t think so,” I reply. “I’m sorry.”

“And Bear? This plan of his? What happens after?”

That always seems to be the great question. What next? “I faced that problem the first time,” I tell him. “It wasn’t easy to figure out. All I can suggest is that we find a way on our own. Without the Masks and the Core. It won’t be easy and it won’t be smooth, but I would rather do this than be controlled for the rest of my life.”

He sits down on Bear’s bed. “What if there are people who don’t? My roommate has a disease that only these people can fix. What about him? Do we just leave him to die?”

I’m silent for a bit. Arden raises a good point. Some people here won’t want to go, they might even fight back. I know there are certainly people who are so accustomed to the ways of the Core that they won’t want things to change.

“We’ll give them a choice, then,” I answer. “Come with us and start a new life, or stay with the Masks. They can decide.”

He nods.

There’s a knock on the door, causing us to jump up and hide, but it’s just Bear. He enters the room followed by a guy with even paler skin than Captain or Gwen, and white hair. “You guys can come out now,” Bear says, laughing. Arden gets out from under the bed and I remove myself from my squashed position in the wardrobe. The two enter the room, closing the door behind them. Bear steals my spot at his desk and takes out a small notebook that was lodged underneath one of the drawers. He drops it onto the floor so that we can all see it, and sits down on the ground next to it.

“First off,” Bear says, turning to us. “I want to introduce everyone. Arthemis, Arden, this is 1139. Or Jessix, as they prefer to be called. Jessix, this is 9412, or Arthemis, as she prefers to be called. And 0628, or Arden.” He points to each of us in turn.

“Hello,” Jessix says, looking a little alarmed at the sight of me. I realize it’s because of my mask, and look away.

Bear notices. “She was forced into being a Mask. She’s on our side, don’t worry.”

“Oh I remember where I’ve seen you before,” Arden says. “You were one of the other guys in the cafeteria with Bear a few days ago. You were sitting next to him, right Bear?”